Tea Ceremony for Master

The old butler left. Hozer casually picked up the thick medieval English-style clothing hanging in the dressing room.
Smooth to the touch, exquisitely delicate, made of rare fine material. What a pity.
Taking the clothes off the hanger, Hozer decisively left the dressing room, admiring the art paintings in the corridor.
Hmm... a portrait of the naked Goddess Venus being born, very worthy of appreciation. Hozer swore on his honor that he was purely looking at it with an artistic eye.
However, his level of art appreciation only extended to "white and round."
Not long after, the old butler returned once more.
"How was it?"
"Mr. Hoz, please follow me. The young master says he agrees to your request."
Request?
Hozer was not entirely pleased with the old butler's choice of words, but after a quick calculation, he decided to settle this score later.
Entering the dining room, Tsurugi Kamishiro was already seated at the head of the long dining table. To his left, a place setting was laid out, clearly prepared for Hozer.
"You are truly an impolite fellow."
Although Tsurugi Kamishiro had been twice crushed by Hozer's martial prowess, and had invited Hozer to lunch for certain reasons, he still maintained his arrogant and defiant demeanor. As soon as Hozer took his seat, Tsurugi began to mock him.
But Hozer paid no attention to Tsurugi Kamishiro's words. He neatly tied his napkin and looked at the old butler.
"Old butler, can we eat now? I'm a bit hungry."
The old butler turned to look at Tsurugi Kamishiro.
Tsurugi Kamishiro was furious that Hozer ignored him, his features slightly contorted, but he surprisingly endured it, nodding slightly towards the old butler.
As it was for a guest, lunch was very lavish, with five dishes in total. Each dish was beautiful and delicious, and the portions were not large. Hozer, completely ignoring Tsurugi Kamishiro's unfriendly glances, ate very happily.
Swallowing the last bite of dessert after the meal, Hozer put down his silver spoon and gently wiped his mouth. Tsurugi Kamishiro also put down his utensils at this moment.
The old butler, who had been waiting nearby, stepped forward to clear all the tableware from the table and left the dining room. Now, in the spacious dining room, only Hozer and Tsurugi Kamishiro remained.
"As expected of the culinary skill that Tendou reveres, it's very delicious."
"Of course, the old butler's cooking is top-notch."
Tsurugi Kamishiro provocatively glanced at Hozer.
"Then thank you for the hospitality."
Hozer acted as if he hadn't seen Tsurugi Kamishiro's gaze, stood up, and prepared to leave.
"Wait a moment."
Hozer turned his back, a slight smirk on his lips, and without turning his head, said, "Is there anything else?"
There was no reply from behind. Although he couldn't see Tsurugi Kamishiro's expression, he could guess that he was struggling at the moment.
After waiting for a while, Hozer grew a little impatient and urged, "If you have nothing to say, don't waste my time."
"I... I..."
"The young master wishes to invite Mr. Hoz to be his combat instructor."
"Old butler!"
Without anyone knowing when, the old butler had quietly returned, speaking Tsurugi Kamishiro's purpose for this invitation.
"Ah, so that's it. Kamishiro, is this your request?"
"No, it's not! To be able to teach me, the direct descendant of the prestigious Discabil family of England, how to fight, that is your honor."
Hozer turned around, simply ignoring Tsurugi Kamishiro's arrogant words, his expression slightly darkening.
"Kamishiro, are you relying on your family's prestige to be so complacent?"
"You!"
"I once took a disciple named Yusuke Godai. He is my disciple and also my comrade. His talent is very high. Although I only taught him for less than a year, his combat power is much higher than yours. I can easily defeat you, and he can do it too."
"Impossible! I am a man at the pinnacle of talent. No one has higher talent than me."
"I have no need to lie to you; it brings me no benefit."
"Then let that man come and fight me. If I lose, I will admit your words are true."
"He cannot come right now. We'll talk about it when there's an opportunity later."
"You're indeed bragging."
Hozer revealed a portion of the hidden aura on his body, directly pressing down on Tsurugi Kamishiro, immediately making him feel as if facing a great enemy. He instantly drew his Sasword short sword and held it horizontally before him.
"You can't even withstand this much aura; you are not qualified to fight Yusuke."
His combat power was damaged, but the terrifying aura that lingered was undiminished. A mighty figure possessing Ultimate Power had an immense aura, far beyond what Tsurugi Kamishiro could imagine.
Tsurugi Kamishiro's expression changed continuously. He gritted his teeth and put away his Sasword short sword.
"My time is precious."
Images of his sister being harmed and himself being casually defeated by Hozer kept flashing through Tsurugi Kamishiro's mind. He seemed stronger now, but the feeling of helplessness was exactly the same.
No!
This feeling, this powerlessness, I don't want it!
"I want you to teach me how to fight!"
Hozer secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had just been worried that pushing too hard would backfire. Now, hearing this, he knew the matter was likely a success.
Hozer pulled out a chair and sat down calmly.
"Kamishiro, you know I am Chinese, right?"
"Yes, what does that have to do with anything?"
Hozer turned to look at the old butler, politely saying, "Old butler, please brew a pot of Chinese tea. Any kind of Chinese tea will do."
The old butler glanced at Tsurugi Kamishiro, then nodded slightly at Hozer.
"Very well, please wait a moment."
Immediately, Hozer sat there without a word, his eyes fixed straight ahead, ignoring Tsurugi Kamishiro, who was anxiously waiting for a definite answer.
Not long after, the old butler quickly walked in, carrying a Chinese tea set, gently placed it on the dining table, and then retreated to the side.
"The tea is here. What do you want to do?"
Tsurugi Kamishiro could not hold back his anger at this point.
Hozer's expression became serious, and he adopted a dignified posture.
"According to Chinese custom, when you become my disciple, you must offer tea as a master-disciple ceremony. However, you are not yet fully convinced by me, so the full ceremony can be waived, but offering a cup of tea is essential."
Tsurugi Kamishiro was startled by this, quickly searching his mind for relevant knowledge. Soon, an expression of sudden realization appeared on his face.
"Alright, I will offer this cup of tea."
Having made up his mind, Tsurugi Kamishiro was not one to dither. He stepped forward, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, walked to Hozer, and with both hands, offered the cup, bowing slightly.
Seeing this, Hozer smiled, reached out and took the warm cup of tea, took a small sip, and then set it down.
"I have drunk this tea. When do you want to begin?"
Tsurugi Kamishiro took a deep breath, sat up, his eyes sharp as lightning.
"Now."
Tsurugi Kamishiro was eager, and Hozer did not delay.
"To the training room."
Tsurugi Kamishiro's expression shifted slightly. He immediately went to change clothes, and also asked the old butler to take Hozer to the training room first, as his current formal attire was inconvenient.
The training room was in the north corner of the fortress's first floor. The entire area was the size of two basketball courts, filled with various weapons, but mostly swords and sabers.
Not long after, Tsurugi Kamishiro, wearing light training gear with protective pads, quickly walked in.
"Actual combat is always the fastest way to improve. Your goal is to eliminate all Worms, so use a wakizashi as your weapon."
A wakizashi is a type of Japanese sword, usually one to one and a half meters long, with a long, slender, slightly curved blade. A wakizashi shorter than one meter is called a short wakizashi.
The Sasword short sword and a wakizashi are similar in length, making it the most suitable weapon for training when not transformed.
Tsurugi Kamishiro selected a wakizashi from the weapon rack that felt most similar to his Sasword short sword and walked to the center of the training room.
Seeing Hozer approach empty-handed, Tsurugi Kamishiro frowned and said, "You don't need..."
Before he could finish, Tsurugi Kamishiro remembered how Hozer had effortlessly defeated him last time, and his face stiffened, awkwardly falling silent.